Layers in Silk

Each country has its own traditional gown that marks it apart from other countries and Japan, no less, has its own traditional gown. Often people refer to the kimono as Japanese traditional dress, which is true, but Japan has a variety of kimonos and traditional gowns depending on event, gender, age, status, and season. Kimono is well known to foreigners because many Japanese wear it for important events such as wedding and New Year. Long ago, however, in the Heian era, for major events high status court-ladies wore a type of kimono that does not resemble the image of a kimono when we immediately hear that word. They wear the Jūnihitoe, literally translated as “twelve-layer robe.” According to my friend who major in Japanese history, this robe is worn by aristocrat ladies and sometimes it can more than 12 layers depending on occasions. It could weigh up to 30pounds.

While the woman wears the Jūnihitoe, the man wears the Sokutai. It is not elaborated as the woman’s gown but both aren’t commonly worn anymore. Nowadays, Japanese commonly wear well known kimono, hakama, and yukata.

The kimono is often worn for New Year, weddings, and hanami. The designs and fabric can be very simple for hanami or extremely elaborate for wedding. The hakama, on the other hand, is worn over the kimono and is similar to trousers with divided legs. It is often worn by priests and priestess at shrines and temples, but it is also commonly used in traditional sports such as aikido and kendo, and for graduation ceremony.

Yukata is similar to a kimono but instead it is best suited for summer. Due to the hot climate in Japan during the summer, many Japanese wear a yukata because it is thinner. On Saturday, Kansai Gaidai hold a yukata fitting event for international students. I learned that whichever traditional dress you wear, the process of putting it on is complicated.